Hyundai Cars

About Hyundai

Hyundai is a large, multinational conglomerate that’s since been broken up into a number of global businesses. But in the U.S. automotive realm, Hyundai refers to Hyundai Motor Company, based in South Korea—and to Hyundai Motor America, its American sales and marketing arm. Hyundai sold a limited number of...

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Hyundai is a large, multinational conglomerate that’s since been broken up into a number of global businesses. But in the U.S. automotive realm, Hyundai refers to Hyundai Motor Company, based in South Korea—and to Hyundai Motor America, its American sales and marketing arm.

Hyundai sold a limited number of vehicles in its home market up to the 1970s, then in 1984 started selling the Pony—a small hatchback—in Canada. A couple of years later it brought the Excel, a new front-wheel-drive hatchback, to the U.S. Although the brand had a slow start in the U.S., it brought more models into the market, with the mid-size Sonata and compact Elantra, and later the Scoupe.

While many of these earlier models were Mitsubishi derived, the company started to find more success when it brought full-fledged vehicle development and engineering in-house—with vehicles that came out in the ‘00s. The Hyundai Santa Fe utility vehicle was a success from the start, as was the Tucson compact crossover, and the 2006 Sonata and 2007 Elantra brought the brand a newfound reputation for being reliable and trouble-free, along with strong in value.

Hyundai hit a new high at the start of this decade, when all-new 2011 Sonata and 2011 Elantra sedans really showcased the brand’s new ‘Fluidic Sculpture’ design. The Sonata leapfrogged toward the head of the pack here at The Car Connection and other review sources, and a new lineup of turbocharged, direct-injection engines made it also one of the most fuel-efficient picks.

In 2012, the introduction of the new Azera full-size sedan, the Accent subcompacts, and the unique, versatile new Veloster small coupe saw the brand continuing its breakneck sales growth—given another boost into 2013 with a new Santa Fe Sport crossover and three-row Santa Fe.

In addition to these models, Hyundai has pushed into the luxury segment with its Genesis rear-wheel-drive sedan—first introduced in 2008—and the even larger, more expensive Equus V-8 flagship that followed. With a more affordable rear-wheel-drive Genesis Coupe on offer, too, the brand has a complete set of models from small to large, basic to luxury—for all but trucks, that it.

One likely more humbling thread for Hyundai in the news the past couple of years has been the EPA’s forced adjustment to its U.S. fuel economy ratings for many of its models. The EPA adjusted a total of 13 Hyundai and Kia models from the 2011, 2012, and 2013 model years—a total of about 900,000 vehicles. In a consolidated lawsuit, Hyundai early in 2013 agreed to settle and pay compensation to owners as long as they have the cars.

While Kia is part of Hyundai Motor Group in its home Korea—and Kia and Hyundai models share platforms and some parts—the two brands are run as completely separate companies in the U.S.

However the Hyundai Santa Fe is assembled at a Kia facility in Georgia. Hyundai also started assembling Sonata and Elantra sedans, as well as engines, at a facility in Alabama in 2012.